When Everything's Made to be Broken
by wingsgirl1313
Summary: Songfic to Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls. The flock is on the run again, but this time something has changed between Max and Fang. Fax fluff. Rating to be safe. Twoshot.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Do I have to? Fine. Maximum Ride belongs to James Patterson who is probably making millions as I type this, and the song "Iris" belongs to the Goo Goo Dolls.

**When Everything's Made to be Broken**

**And I'd give up forever to touch you**

'**Cause I know that you feel me somehow**

Fang gave me his special smile, and I couldn't help but smile in return. It had been going on like this for days. Something had changed between us, but neither one of us knew what that was. He walked over to me and pushed something into my hands. I smiled, and stared into his dark eyes.

"Max? Max, can you hear me?"

"Huh?" Had he said something?

"I told you, it's your turn to do the laundry," he said, confused. I heard Iggy and the Gasman laughing at the other side of the campsite. I ran toward the small brook near our camp before anyone could see the blush that was creeping up my face.

I had been washing our clothes for about five minutes without soap because you know, like, having soap would be, oh I don't know, a _luxury_, when I heard light footsteps behind me.

"Fang forgot to hand you Nudge's and my clothes," Angel said as she smiled sweetly at me. "Oh, and Max, don't worry. He feels the same."

I just stared as she hummed to herself and began to help me. Total trotted up and laid out on a warm rock exactly like a regular dog would have done. Except for the fact that he told me to stop blocking his sun. Yeah, I don't think regular dogs do that.

**You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be**

**And I don't want to go home right now**

**And all I can taste is this moment  
And all I can breathe is your life   
Cause sooner or later it's over  
I just don't want to miss you tonight**

I woke silently when Iggy tapped my shoulder. He then picked his way over all the sleeping bodies and laid down next to Gazzy. I rolled my eyes—a pointless gesture—and leaned against a tree.

I felt the hairs on the back of my next rise. I jumped when I heard a voice to my left ask me, "Want to fly?"

"Now? I'm on watch," I muttered, trying not to wake the others.

"Nudge is old enough now." I wondered why Fang wanted to go so badly. I decided that it was in my best interests to find out.

In response, I nudged Nudge gently with my foot. I was so proud when she sat up straight and looked at me with alert eyes. We had come a long way from our days in Colorado.

"Do you mind taking my watch, sweetie? Fang and I are going flying," I asked gently. She opened her mouth, but I raised my eyebrow, and her slew of questions went unasked.

She nodded, and Fang and I took off into the night sky.

It was so clear up there. Not a star in the sky. I smiled and did a small loop-the-loop. Fang laughed and imitated my move. We then got into an aerial stunts battle. Jeb taught us the game a long time ago. It's kind of like horse, but you have to spell feather instead.

Fang finally surrendered with F-E-A-T-H. Of course I only had F-E-A. We flew in silence for a few minutes. It was so peaceful. Fang felt like….home. I could just be myself.

"Are you ready to go back now?" I asked, well aware of the fact that the sun was about to rise.

"No, this is too perfect, but I suppose we have to, don't we?" His words surprised me, and when I turned my head to look at him, I saw that he was serious. What could that mean?

**And I don't want the world to see me**

'**Cause I don't think that they'd understand**

**When everything's made to be broken**

**I just want you to know who I am**

The whole flock was awake when we got back. Crap. Just what I need. More questions.

"So…what did you and Fang do last night?" Iggy asked casually. It took me a moment, but I finally understood what he was hinting at. My whole face flushed a deep, tomato red.

"Okay, everyone laugh at my expense. Go ahead. Have your fun," I said sarcastically. Of course, everyone except for Fang began to crack up. He simply raised an eyebrow.

The next few days proceeded normally, or as normal as our lives as mutant bird kids could be. We were attacked by flyboys and Angel manipulated Gazzy into dancing the Macarena. That was….special. Trust me when I say that she got a very severe talking to about that one. Once I stopped laughing.

Fang and I got to know each other better than ever. We found excuses for spending more time alone together. Most of the time we didn't even talk. We were just together. We showed each other what we would never let the flock see. I showed him my vulnerability, and he showed me his emotion. If he was angry or upset or happy or excited, I saw. It was amazing.

I never wanted it to end.

**A/N: I really liked this. "Iris" is one of my favorite songs, so writing this was really fun. I hope you guys like it. Review please. If you guys liked it, I'll continue.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sooo sorry for the long wait. I hope this is worth it. It's probably rough, but I had to overcome SERIOUS writer's block with this. **

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**And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming**

Or the moment of truth in your lies 

But of course, it had to end. Because that's the way your life went when you were a mutant bird kid. It sucked basically.

I smiled at Fang, but when he returned the grin, it came out strained and rather painful-looking. I couldn't figure out why. I remembered when Fang kissed that awful word-that-rhyms-with-put Lissa. Even the memory of that feeling made me feel empty and hollow. Fang and I were...what? I didn't feel like he was my brother anymore. No, he was more than that. But I didn't know what we were now. It was kind of awkward. Maybe that's why he wasn't smiling at me. Well, I'd have to talk to him about that.

After sending the kids to bed, I pulled Fang into the woods. His face was as blank and unemotional as it used to be. This was odd.

"What's wrong, Fang? Is everything alright?" It was dark, and I couldn't see his expression, but I thought I saw a flicker of sadness pass over his perfect Face. Did I just say perfect?

"Fine," Fang grunted. What? Wasn't he talking to me? Had I done something wrong?

"Fang, what is it?" I asked him quietly.

"It's nothing. Can you just leave me alone?" It was a question. Not an order. I had to tell myself that. It hurt so deeply, and that was the only way to lessen the hurt a bit.

"Sure," I replied, my voice barely over a whisper. "I've got watch." I walked back to the campsite feeling very tiny and alone. I sat down on an overturned log and waited for the tears. But they didn't come. So many years of supressing all signs of emotion saw to that. But what about when you wanted to cry? Why didn't I ever prepare myself for that? Why did Fang want to be alone? It couldn't be me, could it? I hadn't done anything wrong as far as I knew. Maybe he wasn't enjoying our time together like I had. Maybe this was his way of letting me down gently. Maybe he just wanted to be my brother not...something else.

"Hey," I heard a soft voice behind me, "go to bed. You forgot to wake Iggy up." Hmm? I looked up at the sky. Fang was right. I had stayed on watch too long. But my thoughts wouldn't let me sleep, even if I tried. I wanted to say as much without betraying my feelings.

"It's the Voice; he won't shut up," I told him after a long pause. He didn't say anything to me. Just stared at me with those deep, dark eyes. He raised one eyebrow at me. I knew that expression. That was the cut-the-crap-Max expression. I shrugged my wings out a tiny bit and began to walk to an unoccupied space near the almost dead fire. I felt a large, strong hand grasp my wrist. "Let me go, Fang," I hissed at him. He stood up, and pulled my arm gently so I was facing him.

His face was hovering only a few inches above mine. I felt my heart begin to race. "I'm sorry," he breathed. He let my arm go and walked away. No, I thought. Don't be sorry.

**When everything feels like the movies**

**  
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive**

Do you ever get that feeling? You know, the one where you feel like your life's a movie. I got that feeling during a Flyboy attack. I landed a solid kick to the back of a Flyboy's back, and it collapsed. I was trying to keep my Flock safe because these were the Flyboys with guns for arms. I felt a punch to my shoulder, and I quickly spun on my heel and returned it.

_Fang_, I heard the Voice say simply. But that one word filled me with so much dread, I felt it like a physical burden. I quickly looked around and saw Fang's dark hair bobbing and weaving through the mob of robots. He was safe then. I barely had time to think that before I heard the sharp crack of a gunshot. I felt as if my heart had been ripped out.

"U and A, everyone. NOW!" I screamed. I saw four forms leap out of the crowd. I quickly counted again. Four. No.

"Fang!" I heard a groan. I looked down. I had nearly stepped on him. I quickly knelt next to him and began searching for the wound.

"Where?" I asked. He frowned, focusing on the center of pain, I knew.

"Left leg, above knee," he managed through clenched teeth. I nodded and yanked off my jacket. I tied it around his leg.

I shouted for Iggy. Together, we carried Fang a few miles to a safe clearing. We gently laid him down.

The Flock's faces were strained and scared. I sighed and tucked my own emotions away for later. "Iggy, Gazzy, get his pants off and dress the wound. Angel, Total, over here with me. Find a couple extra shirts that we can tear up into bandages. Nudge, there's a brook a few hundred yards south. Get some water bottles and collect as much water as you can." Like robots, the Flock set about to their assigned tasks. There were tear streaks on all of our faces. I couldn't help it, none of us could.

Iggy pulled me aside. "It's bad," he whispered so the rest of the Flock couldn't hear, "but he'll live." I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I quickly hugged him, and he gratefully returned it, both of us tired of being strong.

"Iggy, I'm sorry," I told him when we pulled apart.

"What for?" he asked confused, fixing his sightless eyes on me.

"I've been unintentionally lumping you with the younger kids. I don't mean to. I shouldn't. You're just as old as Fang and me, and you should be treated like it," I told him. He smiled at me.

"So you and Fnick are willing to share your leadership duties?"

"Definately."

**And I don't want the world to see me**

**  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand**

**  
When everything's made to be broken**

**  
I just want you to know who I am**

Iggy, Fang, and I were sitting in a circle. Well, Fang was laying down, but he had a good excuse.

"So where to next?" I asked.

"Well, I liked the idea of settling down," Fang said. Truth be told, I did, too. But we were the world's last hope. I told them so. They weren't happy, but agreed with me. So together we made the plan to go back to New York. We would find an Itex center there. It was the big apple, a marketing genius like Itex wouldn't be able to resist New York. Iggy's opinions were well appreciated. I felt like I was getting to know my entire Flock better.

So, in a way, it never did end. Not really anyway. Due to Fang's genetically enhanced recouperative powers, he was walking again in less than two weeks. He stopped limping after a month. Everything turned out alright. I was the closest to happy that I'd been in a long, long time.

Oh, I forgot one thing.

Fnick kissed me again.

And this time, I didn't run away.**  
**


End file.
